Modern-day
gunslingers enjoy competition and camaraderie

Cowboy action shooters, such as this member of the Gruesome Gulch Gang, compete in events across the South Plains.

The Gruesome Gulch Gang's members carry lots of guns and go by names like Estacado Terminator, Maverick and Armed to the Teeth.

But the gang isn't as dangerous as it sounds.

Underneath all the gun smoke and leather, the Gruesome Gulch Gang is a pretty wholesome group of guys and gals - and even a grandma.

"We're like one big, happy family," said Don Thurman, leader of the gang, which shoots at a range north of Plainview once a month.

The gang participates in cowboy action shooting events, where each gunslinger adopts his or her own look representing a character from Western life in the late 1800s, and as part of that character, chooses an alias to go by.

There are different categories shooters can compete in. There's the gunfighter, frontiersman, classic cowboy and duelist - each with its own specifications.

Armed to the Teeth, otherwise known as Tony Bessent, is one half of the father/daughter duo known for sending bullets downrange with impressive speed and accuracy.

Bessent, 50, and his 22-year-old daughter, Taylor Bessent, are regulars at cowboy action shooting events throughout the South Plains.

Always a fan of John Wayne and other Westerns, Armed to the Teeth heard about cowboy action shooting and decided to watch one weekend.

"Two weeks later, I was geared up and going," said Bessent, who has been shooting with the gang for about three years.

Other members of the gang describe cowboy action shooting as addicting.

Linda Martin, 63, was introduced to the Gruesome Gulch Gang by her husband.

"I told him, I'll go watch, but I'm not touching a gun,' " said Martin, who goes by the name Goodie Twoshoes when in character.

That was four years ago. Today, Martin isn't just touching guns. She's shooting them.

"It's the most fun I've ever had," Martin said.

She isn't the youngest shooter in the Gruesome Gulch Gang. She isn't the oldest either.

Richard Nichols, 78, is the elder of the group.

He's pretty good with a pistol, but shooting isn't the primary reason Nichols joined the Gruesome Gulch Gang.

"I come here 90 percent for the camaraderie," Nichols said. "The shooting is just 10 percent of it."

The Gruesome Gulch Gang is just one of several posses in the South Plains area. There's also the Bounty Hunters, who shoot out near Whitharral, and the Purgatory Ridge Rough Riders, who practice at Rustic Range near Slaton.

Much of the time, members of each posse visit neighboring ranges for shootouts.

Shooters are scored by a method that calculates shooting speed and accuracy. Strict rules are followed to ensure both safety and fairness.

And cowboy shooting isn't just a West Texas thing.

Since the Single Action Shooting Society formed in 1995, the organization has grown from 5,000 members to 80,000 members today.

For more information about the Gruesome Gulch Gang, call Don Thurman at (806) 293-2909.